Elam

Elam is both an ancient geographical name and the name of several people in the Hebrew Bible. In Genesis, Elam is listed as a son of Shem and therefore a grandson of Noah. The same name identifies a historical region in southwestern Iran, associated with a civilization whose language and history were distinct from Hebrew.

The relationship between the biblical name and the older regional designation is more complex than a single translation such as distant. Ancient languages represented the country’s name in different ways, and proposed meanings vary. As a modern given name, Elam may be chosen for the biblical figure or the sound of an old scriptural name. Its documented historical and geographical connections are stronger than one fixed literal gloss.